This invention relates to improvements in refuse/recyclables materials collecting apparatus and in particular to an improved mechanism for effecting a locking action between a loading bucket and a rock shaft assembly for a self-loading refuse/recyclables handling vehicle.
Reference may be had to the mechanisms described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,790 entitled “Bucket Actuating Linkage” of Neufeldt. This patent describes a self-loading refuse or recycling vehicle including a locking mechanism between the loading bucket and rock shaft assembly. The patent discloses a drive linkage for actuating the shaft which was simpler than mechanisms previously described. This patent also describes a preferred lock and release mechanism. The lock allows the bucket to engage the rock shaft assembly for the loading part of the cycle and to disengage from the rock shaft assembly for the packing part of the cycle. Under ideal conditions this arrangement operates in a satisfactory manner. For some applications and material types, conditions are less than ideal and there are certain instances where the mechanism can fail to function properly. This has become more evident as recycling increases in popularity and collection of segregated material becomes more prevalent. Each segregated material will react differently to compaction when collected independently as compared to a general collection of the total municipal waste stream.